Method of Calibrating a Vehicular Camera

1. A method of calibrating a vehicular camera installed in a vehicle, wherein the camera has an imager and a camera microcontroller, said method comprising: (a) determining whether the contrast in images received by the imager is beyond a selected threshold value; (b) searching for a reference point in the images depending on the result of step (a) using the camera microcontroller; and (c) adjusting the position of an overlay applied by the microcontroller to the images depending on the result of step (b).

2. The method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein step (b) includes: (d) selecting a search window within the images; (e) dividing the search window into a plurality of bars, wherein each bar corresponds to a plurality of pixels on the imager; (f) receiving data relating to brightness levels of the bars; and (g) detecting the position of the reference point based on changes in brightness levels from bar to bar.

3. The method as claimed in claim 2 , wherein the search window selected in step (d) is a vertical position search window and wherein step (b) further includes: (h) selecting a rotation angle detection search window; (i) searching for the positions of a plurality of rotation angle reference points; and (j) determining whether to adjust the position of the overlay rotationally based on the results of step (i).

4. The method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein step (b) includes: (d) selecting a search window within the images; (e) selecting a rotation angle detection search window; (f) searching for the positions of a plurality of rotation angle reference points; and (g) determining whether to adjust the position of the overlay rotationally based on the results of step (f).

5. The method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein step (b) includes determining the reference point iteratively using data from the camera.

6. The method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein step (b) includes determining the reference point and determining an offset amount with which to shift the overlay on the images.

7. The method as claimed in claim 6 , wherein the reference point is at an edge of the bumper of the vehicle.

8. The method as claimed in claim 1 , comprising determining a rotation angle of the camera and adjusting the position of the overlay based on the determined rotation angle.

9. The method as claimed in claim 8 , comprising emitting near-infrared light via a near-infrared light source towards a location where the reference point may be determined.

10. The method as claimed in claim 9 , wherein the reference point is at an edge of the bumper of the vehicle, and wherein near-infrared light is emitted towards the bumper of the vehicle.

11. The method as claimed in claim 1 , comprising providing images captured by said camera to an in-vehicle display.

12. The method as claimed in claim 11 , comprising applying the adjusted overlay to images displayed at the in-vehicle display.

13. A method of calibrating a vehicular camera installed in a vehicle, wherein the camera has an imager and a camera microcontroller, said method comprising: (a) searching for a reference point in images captured by the camera using the camera microcontroller; (b) providing the images to an in-vehicle display; (c) applying an overlay to images displayed at the in-vehicle display; (d) determining the reference point and determining an offset amount with which to shift the overlay on the images displayed at the in-vehicle display; and (e) adjusting the position of the overlay applied to the images displayed at the in-vehicle display responsive to the result of steps (a) and (d).

14. The method as claimed in claim 13 , wherein step (a) includes: (f) selecting a search window within the images; (g) selecting a rotation angle detection search window; (h) searching for the positions of a plurality of rotation angle reference points; and (i) determining whether to adjust the position of the overlay rotationally based on the results of step (h).

15. The method as claimed in claim 13 , wherein step (a) includes determining the reference point iteratively using data from the camera.

16. The method as claimed in claim 13 , comprising determining a rotation angle of the camera and adjusting the position of the overlay based on the determined rotation angle.

17. A method of calibrating a vehicular camera installed in a vehicle, wherein the camera has an imager and a camera microcontroller, said method comprising: (a) determining a reference point in images captured by the camera using the camera microcontroller; (b) comparing the determined reference point's actual position to its expected position; (c) providing the images to an in-vehicle display; (d) applying an overlay to images displayed at the in-vehicle display; (e) determining an offset amount with which to shift the overlay on the images displayed at the in-vehicle display responsive to step (b); and (f) adjusting the position of an overlay applied to the images displayed at the in-vehicle display responsive to the result of step (e).

18. The method as claimed in claim 17 , comprising determining a rotational offset in the images responsive to step (b) and adjusting the position of the overlay based on the determined rotational offset.

19. The method as claimed in claim 17 , wherein step (a) includes determining the reference point iteratively using data from the camera.

20. The method as claimed in claim 17 , wherein step (a) includes: (f) selecting a search window within the images; (g) selecting a rotation angle detection search window; (h) searching for the positions of a plurality of rotation angle reference points; and (i) determining whether to adjust the position of the overlay rotationally based on the results of step (h).